No Excuses
by ekc293
Summary: "Rick was fighting for Kate when she couldn't fight for herself." Rick and Jim have a conversation. Set after Knockdown, but not a Knockdown fic. Oneshot in which Jim Beckett is a total Caskett shipper. Warning: graphic depiction of violence.


I'm really angry and upset right now, so I locked myself in my room and wrote some "fluff."  
><strong>Edit<strong>* At least... I would consider it fluff. I don't think my description was too terribly detailed, but as per request I will put a warning. I apologize to anyone who may have read this before I put this in here who found this to be disturbing or crude.

**WARNING - THIS STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF VIOLENT ACTS, SITUATIONS, & INJURIES WHICH MAY MAKE SOME FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE. IF YOU FIND ANY OF THOSE THINGS UPSETTING OR DISTURBING, I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER.**

**Disclaimer** - I don't own Castle. I don't own the song **Worth Fighting For** by Katy McAllister, which kind of served as inspiration.

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><p>Ever since the incident eighteen days ago, Jim Beckett's days had been a constant routine; Wake up in the morning, read the newspaper with a cup of strong coffee, shower, walk to the hospital, talk to the doctors and whoever else was there, stay with his only daughter for a few hours, leave the hospital, go pick up her mail for her, walk home, make dinner, watch the news, read a book (the past few days, he had found himself reading Rick Castle's novels), shower again, and go to bed.<p>

When Jim arrived at the hospital again, he greeted the doctor working his daughter's case and asked about her condition. Then he walked to Kate's room.

He was greeted by the very familiar sight of Richard Castle sitting in a chair near his daughter's hospital bed.

"G'Afternoon, Rick," he said, moving to sit in the chair next to Rick's.

Rick looked up and gave Jim a small smile, "Good afternoon, Jim."

"Any changes?"

"The doctors lowered the amount of medicine she's on. They say she's been healing much quicker than she expected. Her broken ribs have set almost perfectly, as did her collarbone, and her cuts are almost completely healed. They want to get her awake as soon as possible. The doctors say it'll probably be today or tomorrow."

Jim nodded and smiled at Rick. Both knew that Jim had already asked the doctor about his daughter's condition, but it was helpful for both of them to hear the hopeful news again.

"That's great," Jim said, and he meant it. He was ecstatic that Kate was finally getting better. He had been so worried when he got a call from Detective Ryan, telling him to come to the hospital. He was not the least bit ashamed to admit that when the doctor greeted him and told him of his daughter's injuries, he broke down and cried. Why did things like this keep happening to his baby? When he finally composed himself, he went to Ryan and Esposito and asked what had actually happened, and he had warned them not to lie to him. They had told him everything they knew. Kate and Rick had been taken while they were working and they were found two days later. The woman they had talked to said she saw Rick exit the house quickly, bleeding and carrying an unconscious Kate. He had been screaming for help, yelling that someone had to help him or Kate was going to die. She had called 911 for him and, as he requested, asked for Detectives Ryan and Esposito to come to the scene. The detectives then informed Jim that they wouldn't know anything else until they questioned the three men who had kidnapped them and got Castle's statement, but they had been told by the paramedics that if Rick hadn't gotten Kate out of there when he did, she would be dead.

The first time Jim saw Rick after he had arrived at the hospital, Jim had hugged him. Jim had pretended not to notice Rick's tears and tried to fight back his own when he thanked Rick for saving his daughter.

Jim looked around his daughter's room, once again overwhelmed with emotion. Kate's room was large (well, relatively large for a hospital), and she was in a room by herself. Jim had been informed that Rick had donated a substantial amount of money to the hospital to ensure that she was not only in a private room, but also that she was a stop on every nurse's rounds. He had argued with the hospital about visiting hours, and eventually convinced the staff that she should have a friend there for her constantly, not only as protection, but also as support. Rick had quickly assumed the role and it was Jim's understanding that he hadn't left his daughter's side for any extended period of time. When Rick had heard that there were paparazzi trying to get into the hospital to get a picture of the detective, he had furiously attacked the press in a statement that Jim was sure had never been approved by his agent; you could practically hear the threat to stay away in his words. Needless to say, the photographers around the hospital vanished.

Jim had been (and still was) impressed by the fervor with which Rick protected Kate. He was willing to give whatever was needed to ensure Kate's privacy and wellbeing. He wasn't willing to give anyone the opportunity to hurt her again.

Rick was fighting for Kate when she couldn't fight for herself.

And while Jim certainly appreciated it, and had his suspicions as to why he did it, he had to know the true reason.

"Rick, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Rick replied quickly.

"Why are you fighting so hard for her?" Jim regretted the question as soon as it passed his lips; it had sounded like an accusation.

Rick looked into the eyes of Jim Beckett, albeit a little surprised as to where the question had originated from, but answered almost immediately, "Because your daughter is worth fighting for."

Jim was immediately struck by the sincerity in his eyes. Of course, Jim had always thought that about his daughter. His daughter would forever be the most important person in his life, and he wanted her to have a man in her life that thought that about her as well.

Rick had just answered his question as if his answer was the most obvious thing in the world.

Jim once again couldn't stop himself from asking another question.

"Do you love her?" By the time Jim's words registered in Rick Castle's ears, Jim already knew the answer.

Rick looked up and quickly met Jim's eyes. Rick broke eye contact, and gazed down at the bruised and battered woman in question.

Twenty days ago, Rick Castle and Kate Beckett had walked into a building for a routine sweep. They had been surprised when the room they were in quickly filled with knockout gas. They woke up sometime later, not knowing where they were.

What they did know was that when they woke up, they came face to face with their killer and two of his closest, biggest, and meanest friends. And unfortunately for Castle, the killer had decided that Kate Beckett "needed to be put in her place." While Rick managed to get out with a black eye, a sprained wrist, and a few bruised ribs, Kate had not been so lucky. Rick spent the next two days chained to a wall, being forced to watch Kate fight for her life. He watched as they tried to drown her in ice water and tie her to a chair like you see in the movies and repeatedly hit her in the face until she passed out. He watched helplessly as she was forced on the ground while their captors ran a knife along her stomach and arms and when they kicked her until she cried.

Rick looked down at his bloodied, bandaged wrists; he had rubbed them raw trying to escape from his chains and get to her. He had kicked, spit at, and even bit his captors, doing anything he could to fight back. He had screamed, yelling anything he could at their tormentors and constantly talking to Kate, making sure she was still breathing. He told her how sorry he was, that they would get out of this; that he would make sure everything would turn out alright, he would never let anyone hurt her again.

After some time had passed, Rick had somehow managed to get free of his bindings (looking back, he's sure it was adrenaline. Their killer had pulled out a rope and had started moving it around Kate's neck. The fear in her eyes had broken his heart.) and fought off the killer and his two friends (hence where his injuries came from), knocking them all unconscious. He had lifted his broken partner off the floor and carried her out onto the street, screaming for help at the top of his lungs. A woman who had been walking her dog ran up to the pair and called 911 for Rick. He asked her to request Detective Javier Esposito and Detective Kevin Ryan come to the scene.

That was the last thing he remembered. He woke in a hospital bed, getting bandaged up and ready for release. When he asked where the detective was, he was told that her injuries were so substantial, she had been put into a medically induced coma to improve her chances of making a full recovery.

And all of this only 8 months after she had been shot at Montgomery's funeral.

He hadn't left her bedside since he woke up.

Rick was brought out of his thoughts when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He looked at Jim Beckett gratefully (he already had nightmares from thinking about those two days of hell; he needed to stop thinking about it so much.) and then quickly looked back at Kate.

Even covered in cuts and bruises, Kate was still the most beautiful woman he had ever met. She was strong and confident and he knew she was going to pull through this. He gently reached out and grabbed one of her hands. He curled his fingers around hers and lightly traced patterns on the back of her hand with his thumb. He allowed himself a small smile.

It was then that he realized that he still hadn't answered Jim's question. He removed his eyes from Kate's figure in order to look her father in the eye. He didn't want Jim to have any doubt.

"Yes," he said, hoping his love was visible in his eyes, "I am very much in love with your daughter."

Jim nodded knowingly, his original suspicions correct, and both he and Rick turned their attention back to the woman lying next to them.

Jim broke the silence.

"Have you told her?"

Rick frowned, "I told her once. At Captain Montgomery's funeral. Right after she had been…" he trailed off, not willing to relive the moment where he had been so sure he was going to lose her forever. He sighed, "She didn't hear me. When she woke up, she said she didn't remember anything after she hit the ground…"

Jim nodded, sympathetic and looked up at the ceiling.

It was clear how much Rick loved Kate. And if it had been Jim's place, he would have told Rick that his Katie loved him as well. But she would be able to tell Rick herself when she finally woke up.

Jim took a deep breath and looked back to Rick. He met his stare and gave him a small smile, then he turned and looked at his daughter. She was still in the hospital bed, but he could've sworn that her complexion had started to return to normal. He leaned in closer and spoke to her.

"You listen to me, Kitty Kat," he smiled at her childhood nickname, "you need to wake up soon. You have a man here who needs to tell you that he loves you. And you need to tell him how you feel as well. No excuses, no cop-outs. That's final." He smiled at her again. _There, _he thought, _that will give Rick something to think about._ Jim continued to speak to Kate, his voice becoming softer, "I have to go, now. But don't worry, Rick will be here when you wake up. I love you, Katie." Jim stood up, ignoring Rick's shocked expression and kissed Kate on the forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart."

Jim then turned to Rick and shook his hand like he did everyday.

"Have a good day, Rick. Let me know if anything changes."

Rick finally seemed to snap out of his stupor. "You too, Jim. Don't worry, I will."

Jim began to walk out of the room and Rick turned his attention back to Kate. He was surprised to hear Jim speak again.

"Hey Rick?" Jim called, halfway out the door.

"Yes?" Rick asked. He looked at Jim.

"I'm serious," Jim said, a smile threatening to break out past his stern façade, "This time? No excuses."

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><p><em>I know exactly how I hurt you<em>  
><em>There's nothing left but the truth<em>  
><em>We can change this life, one step at a time.<em>  
><em>I know there's so much more…<em>  
><em>Isn't that worth fighting for?<em>  
>Worth Fighting For<em>, by Katy McAllister<em>

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><p>Well... there you have it. Again, I was pretty emotional when I wrote this, so I hope it makes senseisn't too outlandish.  
>I was going to use this song for a different oneshot idea, but I just really needed some family fluff (because the focus of this oneshot was always supposed to be on Jim and Rick, not on Kate's condition) and the lyrics work, right? Kind of? Maybe?<br>If you're interested, you can listen to the song here: http:/ youtube. com /watch?v= lRqbdwgByuc  
>(just take out the spaces)<br>And I hate to be this person right now, but reviews would really make my day...  
>So, as always<strong>, Love it? Hate it? Please, let me know what you think<strong>


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